Biathlon buses ran like clockwork
To the editor:
I was privileged to be a volunteer at the recent E. ON IBU Biathlon in Presque Isle. I was a very small cog in what was a stupendously successful event, having served as the guard in the shack on the approach road to the venue. I didn’t get to see any of the events, but that was all right with me. I was happy to just do my part.
From my vantage point in the guard shack, I did witness what was to me a major accomplishment without which the event could not have succeeded. One after another, with smiles on the faces and waves of the hands of their drivers, those big yellow school buses from every local school system kept coming by my station like clockwork.
I talked to one driver, Duane Grass from Mars Hill, who was amazed by the logistics of scheduling all those buses to bring athletes from their hotels throughout Presque Isle, and the public from the parking area on Fort Fairfield Road to the venue. Then Duane told me who had been in charge of the massive scheduling project. That man was Dan Donovan, executive director of the Aroostook Regional Transportation System (ARTS).
I would like to publicly thank Dan Donovan and Tammy Gagnon, assistant executive director for ARTS, for their magnificent work in accomplishing what had to have been a monumental task. I know that theirs was not the only work that made the Presque Isle Biathlon a success and I do not want to denigrate any of the hundreds of other volunteers who worked so hard on this event. I just know that the work of Dan and Tammy was worthy of note.
Thanks again, Dan and Tammy, for making this an event to be remembered.
Clint Watson
Westfield
